When Shimano engineered the Dura-Ace 9000 series brakes to deliver roughly 20% less lever effort than previous generations, they needed a cable that wouldn't undermine those mechanical improvements with friction. The BC-9000 Polymer Coated Road Brake Cable is that cable. The polymer coating creates microscopic tube-like structures around the stainless steel wire, and those tubes serve two purposes: they reduce the actual surface area making contact with your housing liner, and the gaps between them hold silicone grease longer than a smooth cable surface would.

The result is noticeably lighter lever pull and more consistent modulation across the full stroke. You feel more of what's happening at the caliper because less input gets lost to friction in the cable run. The 2050mm length handles most road bike rear brake routing with room to spare, and the Shimano/SRAM road cable head fits the standard lever interface. The stainless steel construction resists corrosion, so the performance gains don't disappear after a few wet rides.

Shimano approves this cable specifically for use with Dura-Ace BR-9000/9010, Ultegra BR-6800/6810, 105 BR-5800/5810, and the BR-CX70 cyclocross caliper. The common thread is stronger cable fixing bolts. The polymer coating's low friction can cause slippage at the pinch bolt during the initial stretch period, so these brakes were designed with that in mind. If you're running older calipers, the standard PTFE cables are a safer choice.... Read More